Accelerator Spotlight: They Raised $28,000 in 14 Days Through Crowdfunding In Mexico

Aug 15, 2018

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The team behind Mexico’s first nonprofit newspaper, Mi Valedor, raised more than $28,000 from 260+ donors during the June 2018 Accelerator. They talked to GlobalGiving about what helped them conquer the art of crowdfunding in Mexico.

María, Paula, and Delphine

Mi Valedor Crowdfunding Team

Who The Team Is:

Mi Valedor is Mexico's first street newspaper, and sales help people who are homeless or at risk earn a living. Meet the team behind the nonprofit newspaper's first crowdfunding success in Mexico. María, middle, is the paper's director and editor-in-chief. Paula, right, is the sales director and editor, with a knack for marketing. Delphine, left, is the social impact and photography editor.

Q: Tell us about something unexpected you learned about crowdfunding in Mexico through the Accelerator.

A: Something that truly impressed us was the audience’s capacity to empathize with our cause. Even if they couldn’t donate a lot of money, people would still help with small amounts. We also didn’t expect WhatsApp to be such an effective tool for sharing content, everything from videos to GIFs.

Q: What three major tips would you give to nonprofits participating in a future Accelerator?

A: The first one would be to have all your campaign material calendarized and ready to go. Any communications you use need to be attractive and easy to share, as well as showing your project’s mission in a visual way. We would also recommend using certain donors as catalysts for other donations.

The second tip would be not to be shy in any way! Truly show what you dream to accomplish with this campaign and don´t be afraid to use a compelling title. Along with this, try to thank your donors in creative ways. Recognition is very human, and it is key to accomplish your goal.

Lastly, we would recommend being aware of social and political factors so your audience can identify with the campaign. For example, in our calls to action we used phrases,such as “even if Mexico doesn’t score, you can,” referring to the World Cup.

Q: Which are the main obstacles for an organization starting an online crowdfunding campaign?

A: Many nonprofits are never able to connect with their audience, and we believe this is key for any crowdfunding campaign. Articulating you nonprofit’s mission with high quality digital communications is vital. If your campaign’s style is boring and monotonous, no one will even look at it. Think of your campaign as a product!

Q: How did you build trust with your donors so they felt comfortable donating online?

A: Before, during, and after the campaign we informed our audience who GlobalGiving was and stated that Mi Valedor wanted to be part of the biggest crowdfunding platform for nonprofits in the world. We also made clear that if Mi Valedor trusted GlobalGiving, our donors could as well.

Q: Which aspect of your work did you highlight for the campaign?

A: We stayed true to Mi Valedor’s central idea that even though things are tough, they can always be better. We used raw data that showed the gravity of the situation for homeless and at-risk populations in Mexico City, and we were very clear on what we were doing about it. Erasmo, the main character of the campaign’s video says at the end “I fell, but found out I could get up.”

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